How to Treat Acne Around the Lips Fast

By Contributing Writer

The urge to treat acne around the lips fast may prompt you to take drastic action like squeezing the pimples or popping them with a needle. But just as for pimples elsewhere on the face and body, the fastest way to get rid of acne around the lips fast is with gentle and patient treatment of the skin.

Gentle non-comedogenic cleanser

Benzoyl peroxide lotion or ointment, 2.5% concentration

Acne treatment mask cream

Clean the skin around your lips with a mild pH balanced non-comedogenic cleanser and tepid water. Avoid scrubbing cleansers, abrasive cloths or scrub brushes. Also avoid very warm or cold water. These will only further irritate your acne prone skin.

Apply a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide lotion or cream to the acne pimples around your lips during the day, being careful to avoid the lip tissue. Benzoyl peroxide preparations are available over the counter under a wide variety of brand names. Concentrations of 5% and 10% are also available, but higher concentrations of benzoyl peroxide have not been shown to be more effective at clearing acne. They are, however, more irritating to the skin.

Apply a light non-comedogenic moisturizer to the skin around your lips, to counteract the drying side effects of the benzoyl peroxide. Choose a moisturizer specifically formulated for acne prone skin.

Spot treat acne around the lips with a sulfur based preparation at night. Sulfur based medications are available as spot treatment preparations or acne masks under many brand names. Dot the spot treatment preparation or mask directly on individual pimples, avoiding unaffected skin and the lips. In the morning, remove with tepid water and mild cleanser. Follow with the benzoyl peroxide treatment and moisturizer. Superficial pimples should clear in one to three days.

You may apply a very warm, but not hot, wet compress to individual acne pimples around your mouth that have come to a head,. Follow with benzoyl peroxide cream or sulfur spot treatment, and wait for the pimple to clear naturally in one to three days. Squeezing or popping the pimple has no beneficial effect and could cause infection and scarring. Instead allow the pimple to clear naturally in one to three days.